Visnu Gonzalez was the first disabled Marine to receive a 2004 Dodge Caravan on Wednesday at the Tampa’s James Haley VA Medical Center.

Rollx, a Minnesota-based van conversion company, has plans to donate 14 more vans for use by US troops severely wounded in action in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The vans carry a price tag of $38,000 each. In addition, Rollx will pay for insurance and maintenance with only the cost of gas paid by the users until they are able to purchase their own vehicles.

Visnu Gonzalez and his mother are very happy and grateful for the gesture of Rollx, since it was hard for them to move around with only a car.

Maria, his mother, says, “This van will be so much help for Visnu. Now he will have desire to go out and have some fun.”

On April 21, 2004, Gonzales's second time at war, this time in Iraq, the Marine Corps corporal suffered a shot to the neck which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was first taken to Germany for emergency operations and then to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland where he spent a month.

To start rehabilitation, Gonzalez chose to go to Tampa’s James Haley VA Medical Center where he spent seven months. Gonzalez adds, “I was tired of being in the hospital so I pushed myself a lot more in the therapies to go home.”

Now, Gonzalez will use his wheelchair-accessible van to go to his therapies three days a week.

Visnu Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, grew up in the Dominican Republic with his mother Maria. There he graduated from high school and enlisted in the Marine Corps.

“His dream was to become a U.S. Marine,” his mother said.

It was and still is hard for Maria Baez, Gonzalez’s mother, to leave her family in the Dominican Republic to take care of Visnu. She says, “Visnu needs me now, and I’m happy that my family supports us and come to visit very often.”

Most of the people who know Visnu Gonzalez and his situation have said that he has been able to recover better because of his family support. “Without my family I wouldn’t be able to be where I am right now,” Gonzalez said.

Maria Baez and Visnu Gonzalez have received helped from U.S. Rep. C. W. Bill Young and his wife Beverly. They located Baez a rent-free lodging at a nearby retirement home until she was able to rent a three-bedroom apartment paid with the contributions from the Red Cross and Operation Helping Hand, managed by the Tampa chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.

The local Tampa organizations have paid tribute to Visnu Gonzalez for defending freedom throughout the world. Their support has provided the hope and support this veteran of Afghanistan and Iraqi wars deserves in his recuperation.